I loved this play! And to think that Wills basically pulled it from the headlines (if he had lived in ancient Rome...) The story is so rich, the characters so flawed. I especially disliked Mark Antony, who makes a stellar comeback in Antony and Cleopatra. He's such a liar and hypocrite here! Brutus also infuriated me, from now on, every time I make a horrible decision and am feeling down, I'll remember Brutus. Thanks Wills!
Bloom brought up the possibility that Brutus could have been JC's illegitimate son. It is highly unlikely for two reasons: they are only about 15 years apart, and parricide was a horrible crime in ancient Rome, so the plot would have ended up in a different direction. However, the circumstances are quite juicy: JC and Brutus's mom had been lovers for many many years and were still lovers at the time of his muder (Hamlet, anyone?)
To thicken the plot, Cassius was married to Brutus' sister Tercia. I wonder whether all if this was common knowledge at the time of the play, and Wills just expected audiences to add that layer to the plot.
Bloom says he is always expecting to see a staging of the play where the Oedipal question is integrated. I am willing to call Bloom's bluff: I am certain that if a director added a line of text to a Shakespeare's play, Bloom would scream bloody murder.
Tonight I'll start with Garber, Nuttall and Bloom and I look forward to mining gold in those three mines!
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